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11 August 2016

Review: 'If the Dress Fits' by Daisy James (2016)

Celebrity actress Lilac Verbois is holding a competition to design her dress for the Wedding of the Year…and Callie’s exquisite, glittering silk gown has been shortlisted. But just as all her dreams are coming true, disaster strikes and she rushes home – forgetting to submit the forms!Years ago, when Callie left sleepy Althorpe for the bright lights of London, she never expected to return. And there’s one man in particular she’d hoped never to see again, Theo, the childhood-sweetheart-turned-rock-God who turned her life upside down. But now she’s back, she realises it’s finally time to stop running…and face her past.Yet, little does Callie know, Lilac Verbois has begun a Cinderella-like hunt for that perfect, pearl-embroidered wedding dress, mysteriously submitted without a name…I can't help but judge books by their covers sometimes; I think it's only human. If I had to pick one cover out of a whole bunch of covers, the cover I would feel most attracted to, it would probably look a lot like the book cover of author Daisy James' 'If the Dress Fits', because I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. The colours, the dress, the title, the font used... It really comes together and seems to be the perfect cover for a great romantic read. Based on just cover alone, I was already sold, but of course I was also curious to check out the story inside this novel, especially since this would be my personal first experience with Daisy James' writing!Callie Henshaw doesn't regret making the decision to leave her hometown of Althorpe in Yorkshire to start her own wedding boutique in London. Especially not now she's in the running of designing an exclusive wedding dress for famous actress Lilac Verbois, who is marrying her true love in a few months' time. But Callie's life is slightly shook up when she receives some bad news from the home front, requiring her to go back to Althorpe to deal with some things. Due to circumstances she forgets to add the required paperwork to her wedding dress, but there is no time for Callie to even notice as she has more than enough to deal with, including her gorgeous ex-boyfriend-turned-rockstar Theo, who seems to have not forgotten about Callie and the love they once had for one another...'If the Dress Fits' is Daisy James' second novel, after her 2015 debut 'The Runaway Bridesmaid.' I was really curious to check out one of her works and am really glad I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this romantic comedy novel from start to finish. I love a good read about weddings, but next to a fun main topic the book also has a captivating storyline, a lovely dose of romance and a great collection of characters. Protagonist Callie is a wedding dress designer taking part in an important competition to design the wedding dress for a famous actress; I loved this part of the storyline, but also really enjoyed the fact that there was so much more to focus on, such as Callie's aunt's shop Gingerberry Yarns and the romance between Theo and Callie.Theo really is a wonderful male lead and I'm sure many readers will fall for him and his charms, just like I did. I actually think the village of Althorpe is filled with interesting and promising characters, so I'd definitely be up for more stories set in this town and learn more about the different personalities. One point of critique; the novel is described as a funny read, but I personally didn't really feel that while reading it. It's a great read, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't describe it as a really funny one. Daisy James has definitely managed to catch my attention, though, and I already look forward to picking up her next release, 'When Only Cupcakes Will Do', which will be out this August. On the whole, 'If the Dress Fits' is a charming and simply lovely read that I really enjoyed and definitely recommend to any chick lit/wedding lit readers looking for their next read!Rating:9/10